1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to automotive vehicles, more specifically to a vehicle having a storage tray located in a rear bumper.
2. Background Art
Some types of electrically powered vehicles, such as plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, use a charging cord to connect the vehicle to an off-board power supply when it is necessary to charge/re-charge the on-board batteries. In some cases, the charging cord is carried on board the vehicle while the vehicle is in use so that it is available anywhere that charging of the batteries is desired. If the vehicle charging port or receptacle is located on an exterior panel of the vehicle it may be advantageous to be able to disconnect the cord from the receptacle when it is not being used and store it in the vehicle at some location remote from the receptacle.
It is important to provide secure storage for the charging cord when it is not in use, and also to ensure that the vehicle operator has easy access to the cord when needed. If the charging cord is stored loose in the trunk or other cargo compartment of the vehicle, it may pose a hazard during a collision, as well as be difficult to find when needed, particularly if there are other objects in the trunk or cargo compartment that may be hiding or blocking access to the cord. Even if the charging cord is stored in a bin or sub-compartment within the vehicle cargo compartment, access to that area may be blocked by other objects and so require removal of those other objects in order to reach the charging cord.